Kings and Pawns Part one: Reflections of insanity
by Mistah Js girl
Summary: The Joker kidnaps a reporter to show Batman the truth of random madness. But can Batman save the reporter before its too late?
1. Chapter 1

Kings and Pawns

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in it."

-- William Shakespeare

PART ONE: Reflections of insanity

Chapter one

"Okay, are we ready?" Maria, the red headed woman in the powder blue suit asked Jack Mitchell.

"Yes, I'm ready." He said taking one quick look in the mirror, his dark hair combed back and hair sprayed. He was in a black suit two piece suit, black shirt and bright red silk tie. 

"You look great." Maria said.

"Okay." He took a breath and went onto the set, there was a large blue arm chair for him and a small black sofa sitting directly across, the lights were dimmed as Jack took his seat and a man come over and attached a small microphone to his jacket.

Cameras were around the set in several different angles and large flood lights were being turned up.

Maria looked at Jack, "Okay, were good to go!"

Roger, the audio man, talked into his phone saying firmly, "Bring her in. We're ready to begin." 

The double doors to the right pushed open and two large men in black came through and stood to the side in the studio as a police officer escorted a small woman in, her yellow blonde hair up in pigtails on each side of her smooth face. She held her head up high as the officer was holding her slender arm in his hand, both of her wrists cuffed together in front of her. They'd let her pick out an outfit for the interview, and she chose a red miniskirt and tight black t-shirt she decorated with: 

I 

© 

J

The officer led her over to the sofa where she took a seat and he stepped just outside the set.

Jack smiled politely, "I'm Jack Mitchell, it's a pleasure to meet you miss Quinzel."

Harley smiled and leaned back throwing one slender leg over the other crossing them, her lips were a wet cherry red, "Great to meetcha Jack, and call me Harley, everybody does." She winked one big blue eye with a half smile.

"Okay Harley, how about we get this interview going?"

"Peachy keen Jack." Harley said looking around anxiously, she twisted uncomfortably on the sofa looking at all the cameras.

Maria smiled, "Need anything before we start miss Quinn?" She asked Harley.

"Noppers, I'm good to go." Harley looked brightly at Maria with a blank stare.

"Okay great!" Maria walked clear of the set.

Roger put on his head set and looked at Jack, the cameras all in position and the lights brighter. "3. 2.1." He pointed at Jack, "And…roll."

Jack with his elegant good looks and soft smiled looked into the camera, "Good even Gotham city! I'm Jack Mitchell here with you tonight to bring you the interview you've long awaited. Tonight I have right here in the studio with me Harley Quinn."

The cameras panned out to show Harley and Jack, Harley wiggled her fingers at the camera and blew a kiss. 

"Harley?"

"Yes Jack?" She smiled at him leaning forward and uncrossing her legs.

"I think everyone is wondering why you decided to do this interview now, after refusing for so long?" Jack looked concerned and serious.

"Well Jack the other day on TV there was this doctor there and she was sayin' all this stuff 'bout me and my Puddin' that was just ridicules! And I couldn't have everyone thinking that, so I just wanted to set the record straight about some things."

"Great, so you wouldn't mind if I asked you some questions then?" Jack asked with a friendly smile.

"Oh sure! Fire away!" Harley giggled softly and leaned back on the sofa again twirling a strand of blonde hair between her tiny fingers.

"I think everyone knows how you met the Joker, as his psychologist in Arkham asylum, but I know one thing I've always wondered is how you could fall in love with him?"

Harley's voice was high and bouncy as usual, "Most people just don't understand Mistah J like I do, he's so much more than just a psychopathic mass-murdering clown. I mean yeah, most girls think I just fell in love with him for that, but that's what the media sees," she sighed dreamily, "inside he's so…" putting her hands to her heart, "so sweet and funny and, and well he's really funny, and dreamy! Mistah J's the ultimate guy. Sure the dangerous twisted murderer is great, but it's the sweet romantic boy behind the smile I fell in love with."

Jack cleared his throat, "Ah, well. How is your relationship?"

Harley sat on the edge of her seat with her hands clasped tightly, "Oh Jack it's wonderful!"

Jack raised a brow, then asked "Moving on, how has Batman affected your life?"

Harley's turned up nose crinkled and she made a sour face saying, "Yuck, he is just such a nuisance! Can you imagine a guy following' you whereva ya move and always getting in the way when your trying to work! It is just impossible to have a nice dinner with out him busting through the roof or window."

"Now that does sound terrible, but Harley, you must admit he's only trying to stop you and Joker from killing people and blowing up the city?" Jack gave her a sympathetic look and inquiring smile.

Harley rolled her eyes, "Yeah yeah, that's his excuse. But me and Mistah J are just tryin' to have a fun night out! There are plenty of other wackos in the city for him to bug." 

"So then it's not the Joker's main goal to kill Batman?"

"Oh well sure! I mean if the guy was always weaseling in on your life you'd want to off him too, am I right Jack?" She smiled.

Jack laughed lightly, "Killing is never the answer." He made sure to look into the camera as he said that. "But seriously now Harley, you are incarcerated at Arkham asylum at the moment, do you have any intentions of getting out?" 

"Yeah! You know it, I hope to be out real soon."

"And your relationship with the Joker?" Jack asked.

Harley giggled girlishly, "Me and my Puddin' will be getting married."

Jack took a breath and his eyes widened, "Have you plans?"

"Sure I have plans!" Harley said brightly, uncrossing one leg and crossing the other.

"Any date set yet?" Jack smiled playfully.

Harley perked up and said with confidence, "As soon as Mistah J asks me I'll be sure to let you know."

Jack held back a laugh, "Oh-ah, I see."

Harley looked crossly at him and her smile faded, "Yeah well you'll see."

"Is there any one thing you want Gotham city to know about yourself?" Jack asked looking from her to the camera.

Harley looked directly into the camera, smiling softly, her glossy mouth small and round, "Mistah J is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Jack and Harley looked back at each other and Jack said looking earnestly at Harley Quinn, "Thank you for joining me this evening."

"Oh it was my pleasure Jack." She beamed brightly twisting her hands in the cuffs.

Roger held up one finger, then two, then Harley jumped saying, "One more thing, before the cameras go off."

"Yes?" Jack asked nervously looking around.

Harley was holding her handcuffs and she let them drop with a clunk on the floor, "I'd like to announce a special guest!"

Jack stood up and started slowly away from the set when one of the large men in black came over to him saying, "I'd sit back down if I were Mr. Mitchell."

Jack looked at him and felt droplets of sweat forming as he sat back down. He instantly thought of his wife and son. Would he ever hold them again? No, he couldn't think like that. He took a breath.

Harley took a few steps back, brought herself up to full height and looked with a big smile into the camera, "Gotham city your in for a treat, the man who puts the "fun" back into "dysfunctional", Gotham city's very own comedian that makes you laugh until you die! The one and only…Joker!" 

The Joker burst through the double doors with his arms out stretched laughing loudly, "Jackie my boy! You didn't think I was going to let you get away with interviewing my little Harleykins and not meeting her maker, and maybe yours." He winked with a big smile and jumped on the sofa and laid back putting his feet up.

Jack looked around, he looked to Roger, whom he saw had been replaced with a thug, and Maria didn't seem to be in sight, Jack wiped at his forehead, "I'm not really prepaid to interview you, but I'd love to, maybe we could set something up?"

Joker laughed, "Oh come on now, you're a good reporter, I'm sure you can come up with something on the spot, if not maybe Larry over there can take your place, hmm?" Joker wiggled his eye brows glancing at his thug, Larry.

Jack tugged at his red silk tie and took a deep breath, "Okay, sure, tell me Joker what is your next big plan?"

Joker give Jack a dull look, unsmiling, then he grinned, "If I told you I'd have to kill you." he winked, then he said, "Oh wait, I'm going to anyway!" Joker laughed.

Harley returned in her skin tight red and black costume and make-up, she perched near the arm of the sofa with a over sized gun dangling in her right hand.

"What is it you want to tell Gotham city?" Jack blurted out.

Joker's deep green and gold flecked eyes locked onto the camera, "Get ready to really…crack up." Joker's big smile widening into a horribly cackling laughter.

Harley grinned and held up her gun and shot Jack, the brightly colored straps flung forward and tired around him as a big thug picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. Harley danced around and waved into the camera. Joker shoved her out of the way and pulled a small bomb from his jacket and tossed it into Jack's seat. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Batman jumped out of the Bat Mobil his black cape blowing in the wind as he ran swiftly up to the studio, bursting in the door, it was too late. Two of the walls were blown out and everything else was charred and falling to pieces, the bomb had shattered the glass and chips of it scattered across the floor, and crunched under Batman's boots.

The cold blast of frigid night air swept through the broken down studio and the ashes were caught up in the wind. Batman scanned the area with his eyes and went into the remains of the sound panel, he found the tape from the broadcast that night and picked it up. He could hear the clatter of the police coming up the stairs now, he swung down from the open gash in the wall and to the Bat Mobil. 

The wind was strong and bitter and it stung Batman's face as she landed into the Bat Mobil and headed back to the Bat cave. The night sky was a cloudy purple ink, and there was a dim ring around the pale crescent moon. The Bat Mobil sped down the dark alley and pulled up into the Bat Cave, the tawny light not much more than flickering shadows. 

Batman put the tape in and sat back in his black chair, the moist cold of the Bat Cave felt better than the street did that night. The broadcast was suddenly on the huge screen, Batman would watch it five times that night, with one question, what could they want with reporter Jack Mitchell? 

Then, later that night, as Bruce in his black silk robe sat in the leather chair in his den, his black hair still damp from a shower. He turned on the news, and every channel was the same…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

The stench of decomposing meat was strong in the backroom of the "Happy Cow" slaughter house, Joker didn't stop laughing the first two hours over that. Thick red/orange rust ran the length of several of the dull metal walls. The bright light bulb flickered absently above the long white counter. The chop was a solid clunk, the shiny meat cleaver coming down hard and fast.

"Let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you. Let me hear you whisper…that you love me too. Keep the love light burning…in your eyes so true!! Let me call you sweetheart, I'm in love with you!" Harley sang softly in her high voice, and with each slam of the meat cleaver she went higher.

Many droplets of thick blood jumped from the hand as she chopped off the fingers, there were deep red stains on the white butcher's apron, which of course Harley personalized with red and black diamonds drawn on. Her small hand was brisk with the sharp cleaver and she sang passionately with each clank.

Harley sat the cleaver aside and untied the apron tossing it the floor, she opened the box of purple plastic wrap and tore out a big sheet. She was humming loudly as she wrapped each pasty bloody finger very carefully and thickly with the plastic wrap. Upon finishing her task she opened the big avocado green freezer and put the fingers in with a large pile of crushed ice and something that was unidentifiable.

"Harley! Are you done yet?" Joker's voice called out from another room.

"All done mistah J." Harley said skipping to her Puddin'.

Joker was hunched over a small black table, his purple jacket hung over the back of the chair, and his green shirt had several open buttons near his neck and down his porcelain chest. The cuffs were rolled up twice at his slim wrists and his long green metallic finger nails were tapping on the table.

Harley ran up, the ears on her headpiece bobbing, she smiled widely, "Yes mistah J?" 

Joker looked up at her, his sunken in green eyes looking right through her, the shadows lingering on his ashen face, he was grinning dully and the smile lines around his mouth and eyes seemed prominent in the faint light. He smiled widely at her and sat up, "All gift wrapped and ready to go?"

"Yes sir." Harley said assuredly. 

"Good girl. Now why don't you go set up the camera?"

"Sure thing mistah J!" Harley smiled and trotted off as Joker turned back to the papers on the desk. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four 

Susan Mitchell, Jack's wife, sat in front of the TV twisting a pastel yellow floral handkerchief between her hands. Tears streamed down her face, and her mascara was running black. 

"This is a special report about the Jack Mitchell case," the gray haired male reported said, 

"I just got the police report that they received…" the reporter stopped for a moment, 

"they received several fingers wrapped in purple plastic wrap along with some sort of video tape. The fingers, have been identified as Jack Mitchell's, one still had his wedding band on."

Susan gasped and began sobbing loudly, a tall dark haired man came into the room and put his arm around Susan saying, "What it is?"

Through her sobs she chocked out, "It's Jack…they--they got his fingers in the mail." She broke down crying harder on the man next to her.

The man slammed his fist down on his leg, clenching his teeth, "Son of a bitch." Tears weld up in his gray eyes. "Don't worry Susan, Jim will get him this time."

She was sobbed uncontrollable, wailing through her tears, "Oh Jack, please be alive."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Batman stood in the alcove near the window, one of the officers turned off the light as Jim Gordon put the tape into the VCR and hit play. 

"Hi-d-ho there all you pigs and bats tuning in tonight, we've got a great show for you, isn't that right Harl?" Joker was standing in a dim room with a spotlight on him, the walls were a rusty slivery color and he was holding a microphone.

Harley jumped to his side in her costume, "Oh it sure is mistah J! Tonight's show is a real killer!"

Joker shoved Harley out of view and the thump of her hitting the floor could be distantly heard, "But before I tell you about it, have you heard this one boys? A doctor of psychology was doing his normal morning rounds when he entered a patient's room. 

He found Patient one sitting on the floor, pretending to saw a piece of wood in half. 

"Patient two was hanging from the ceiling, by his feet. The doctor asked patient number one what he was doing. The patient replied, 'Can't you see I'm sawing this piece of wood in half?' The doctor inquired of Patient one what Patient two was doing. Patient one replied, 'Oh. He's my friend, but he's a little crazy. He thinks he's a light bulb.' 

"The doctor looks up and notices Patient two's face is going all red. The doctor asks Patient one, 'If he's your friend, you should get him down from there before he hurts himself' Patient one replies, 'What? And work in the dark?'"

Harley makes the sound of drums in the back, Joker cracks a smile and laughs then rubbing his purple gloved hands together he says, "Tough audience eh Harl?"

"I thought it was funny Puddin'!" Harley offered, still off screen.

Joker half-frowned, then he perked up again, "Okay well, on with tonight's show. Oh folks your going to love it, we got a great guest, so lets have a big 'hand'…" Joker snickered, "For Jack Mitchell!"

The camera turned with a jerking motion to see Jack bound and gagged with electric tape, his hands were tired together at the wrists. And to everyone in the police stations horror it was clear both of Jack's hand's had been cut off just below the wrist. The gaping open red wounds waving in the restraints, the blue veins were practically dangling, and the thick ivory bone was roughly cut and crusted with dried blood. Jack's face was twisted in pain, his eyes blood shot and he looked drained and almost gray/white, sweat was dripping from his face and his black button down shirt was smeared with blood and dirt.

Several younger officers had to leave the room for a moment at the site of his hands cut off, the blood had stopped dripping, but everything was exposed. 

Joker moved over to the side of Jack, "Jack my boy, you don't look good at all!! Don't you think the show is funny?" Joker looked to Harley, still off camera, "Isn't it a funny show Harley?"

"Oh yeah Mistah J! It's hilarious!"

"See Jackie, Harley thinks it funny, so why not give us a smile huh Jack?" Joker asked walking around in front of Jack smiling broadly.

He looked at Jack for several minutes, "Oh I'm sorry Jack but your just bringing us all down!" Then Joker snapped his fingers, "I know what it is! You can't smile eh? Yeah didn't think so, well I can take care of that."

Jack's muffled protests went unnoticed as Joker looked to Harley, "Nurse Quinn I need to operate on this man immediately!"

Harley bounced on the set with a sexy nurse costume over her Harlequin costume, she also wheeled over a tray of knives, she smiled at her Puddin. He patted her on the head, 

"Thank you."

"What can you do for him Doctor J?"

Joker sighed looking over the set of knives, "It's not going to be easy, but I'm going to give him a smile." Joker grinned darkly at the camera. Then he slowly picked up a scalpel, it glistened in the light, he laid it back down and looked them over.

"May I make a suggestion Puddin'?" Harley asked displaying the knives with her hand.

"Well I don't see why not." Joker smiled.

She swallowed hard hoping she wouldn't mess up, then she pointed out a hooked blade saying, "This one here has a high quality cut, due to slicing instead of chopping with a straight edge. A razor sharp edge around a radial feature, precision trimming of plastic, rubber or flash. Piercing tough, flexible materials with a perfect slice." She smiled brightly holding it out for him.

Joker had a perplexed look on his face after hearing Harley spill out all that information.

"I have hobbies you know." She smiled and titled her head up proud of herself.

Joker laughed loudly and picked up the fine stainless steal hooked knife, with a sharp bladed edge. He held it up, the severe blade reflected the light as he twirled it between his fingers. He bent forward, the knife advanced closer to Jack's mouth. Joker held the blade right up against Jack's skin, then he stopped with a frown, Jack's whimpering and sobbing was loud.

Joker snapped his fingers, "Oh wait, I'll have to take the tape off to do this and all that screaming is going to be very disruptive."

Harley waved her arm, "Oh oh oh!" She said happily.

"Yes?" Joker said fingering the blade of the knife.

Harley reached into a pocket in the nurse outfit and pulled out a jaw breaker the size of her palm, "How 'bout this mistah J?"

He took it and tossed it at Harley, smacking her in the side of the head, "It's been done." 

He giggled.

Harley looked only momentarily dazed saying, "I got it!" she ran off the set and returned a minute later and handed Joker and shiny red apple.

Joker looked it over, "Well, a classic never goes out of style!"

He ripped the tape from Jack's mouth, "Ple-" before Jack could get more out Joker shoved the apple in and jammed his mouth shut. Then he brushed off his hands and held the hooked knife between his index finger and thumb.

Harley ran off the set and the camera quickly and messily zoomed into Jack's anguish distorted face. Joker cleared his throat and looked Jack over, "Hmmm, yes…yes." he said moving around him, "Ah."

He leaned forward, not covering Jack's face, and he pressed the blade just inside Jack's mouth, where his smile should have been, and Joker began to gradually tear up the side. A torrent of blood began to immediately spill down his face and neck, Joker took the knife out of Jack's mouth and shook the blood off his hand. Then Joker lurched forward again, each immaculate slice a delicate masterwork of tearing flesh. 

Joker seemed engrossed in the job, his hand was skillful as that of any painter with each deep stroke and sliver of bloody flesh to hit the cold floor. Jack's moans of terror and wails of torture fell upon silent ears. 

Harley played narrator as she manned the camera, "Oh! Look at his precision!" she gasped softly, and let out a little sniffle, "This is a genius at work." 

Joker was meticulous, his hands dripping in Jack's hot blood, Jack had even begun to shake violently, and yet Joker never once slipped up. The blade carved and cut into Jack's face with smooth expert incisions. A great deal of blood was pouring out of the wounds, more blood than Joker had expected, he worked through it. Jack had begun to swallow his own blood, it was syrupy and hot.

Finally Joker stepped back, Harley rushed over with a hand towel. Harley took the hooked knife and Joker wiped his hands and face, where some blood had splashed. He looked down at his suit with irritation at the blood that would surly stain it. He threw the towel at 

Harley and she was quickly out of view.

The camera pulled in directly on the big tender carved smile on Jack's face. The smile spread from Jack's cheek bones down to the original corners of his mouth, about an inch and a half of raw exposed flesh cut into a red grin. Jack was very pale from the loss of blood and his head was titled back, there was a sheer look of bleak death in Jack's eyes. He twisted a little and twitched in the seat, his eyes rolled back in the sockets until only the white was revealed, he gurgled softly as his breathing seemed to stop, and his chest was no longer rising. 

The tape turned to blank fuzz.

"Dear God!" Some men murmured in the police station. 

"He's a monster!" Jim Gordon didn't bother to say it lightly, his face was reddened and you could see the tears that had weld up in his eyes, Jack had been a close family friend. It wasn't just how he was killed, or who killed him, it was the horror that Jim had to sit there and watch and do nothing! He had to watch his friend get tortured and he could do 

absolutely nothing! 

For now. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

That shrill aching pang, the hot throbbing stabbing bloody bites of soft red flesh. He could taste the bitter poisonous blood bubbling in his laughter, the heat, oh god it was so hot. 

His finger nails clawing scratching, bleeding, the blood melting his brain into nothing, pouring away down the rusty drain of life. Little claws scrapping his face, their tiny sharp claws digging and ripping, big black wings flapping like madness, silent screeching death.

Joker saw the bats rabid and angry, they beady little eyes always watchful always seeing, he could hear them, they were coming for him. He crowded like a small child in a cold distant corner so dark he could barely breath, he backed up on the floor, the sweat on his clothes. No escape, no escape, the further back he went they only got louder, their fierce vengeance soon to swoop upon him. To tear at him, yes, they would eat him alive, they would fall on him like the lid of a coffin and they would take bite after bite out of him until he begged for it to end. It would never end, they never came, they just kept coming.

Joker sat up in bed, drops of sweat forming on his face and his thin pale chest, he took in several massive breaths and shook his head. He felt his body twitch like little spiders running just under the skin, his green and gold flecked eyes scanned the room viciously until he spotted Harley curled up on the other side of the bed sleeping soundly.

Her soft monotone breathing frustrated him and he punched her in the side with a swift blow.

Harley let out a little whimpering mew and turned on her back with a yawn, her large eyes blinked several times until they focused on the Joker, "What's wrong Puddin?" Sympatric angel. 

Joker made a soft growl that sounded like, "Nothing." He climbed out of bed, untangling himself from the royal purple silk sheets and walking slowly over to the large window, the cold tile floor against his bare feet sent a shiver through him.

Harley tossed over again muttering lowly, "If you need anything just wake me…" before she seemed to drift back into sleep again, as if she had never been fully awake in the first place.

Joker stood at the window sill, his hands resting on the large wood frame, the pale cold of the window reflecting his frowning expression that was slowing hinting upwards at the sides in a perverse smile as he whispered, "He's coming."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A rush of wind swept up his black cape as he leapt like the silent panther through the dark led by sheer instinct. Tiny sharp rain drops were plunging from the charcoal sky as Batman, determined not to let Joker escape justice this time, crept outside the slaughter house. The mud was sloshing on his boots in puddles as he moved fast up to a large, decaying vent. He pried open the cover without effort and climbed inside. 

It was increasingly damp as he moved in the small space and the horrible smell of the 

putrid meat was almost too much to bare. He knew Joker would be waiting for him, Joker knew he was coming, Joker had wanted him to come. He slide out of the vent and into the main part of the slaughter house, he felt his stomach retch at the huge sides of beef hanging on old steel hooks that dangled the mostly green meat which seemed to have white maggots crawling in and out of it. Through the mass of decay there was a dim ceiling light that was barely illuminating the room.

The lights went off, and there was an absolute darkness that swallowed the room, Batman was fast to put on his night vision, but it was hard with the decomposing meat at every turn. 

"Joker, come out now." Batman hoped to get a response to guide him.

Shrill laughter filled the darkness, it seemed to seep directly out of the walls, everywhere, inescapable. 

Batman turned just in time to take a hard blow to the face with a huge side of beef, it set him stumbling only slightly then he pushed forward in pursuit of the misunderstood, lost, wondering, rejected. 

She would never let him, Batman, she would never let him stop her Puddin. Harley had reasons that were confidential, doctor/patient confidently kept her reasons in the dark. But they were there nonetheless. She swung the rotting beef and maggots at Batman again, only he caught it this time and sent it back to her. It fling her like a child several feet into the ground, her first impulsive was to get the maggots off her. She brushed them off hastily in disgust.

"Jeeze B-Man you realize those are crawling with bugs?" She yelled out walking slowly against the wall.

Batman said nothing, Harley was a distraction for something bigger. He jumped upon her and gave her one clean hit to the head knocking her out and sending her to the floor, he headed for the exit as quickly as possible, brushing aside all the meat. He was moving slowly and carefully it was nearly impossible to tell what Joker had planned. Whatever it was Batman could not let him execute it. 

Joker couldn't see his reflection in the dark as he gazed emptily upon the mirror, so pretty. Crashing glass against his hand, soft hard breaking skin and mirror, reflective broken distortion. So pretty. Sweet salty blood, deep blackness from behind, the hard throbbing in his scull as he turned to see the darkness facing him. He could taste his own blood somehow, oh yes, he was getting hit in the face, that explains it.

Where was Harley? Joker stabbed at the darkness with the mirror, it bleed his skin, it felt like coolness, a soft panging pretty sensation. Bleed, he stabbed aimlessly.

Batman grunted and punched Joker in the gut several times until he grabbed his stomach, then he pounced in the dark and began stabbing at Batman. Batman grabbed his wrist and slowly forced him to the ground and pried the slender piece of mirror out of his bleeding hand and threw it aside. Batman began cuffing Joker as he laughed and muttered…

"Jack is already dead Batman, all this is pointless, everything you do is pointless, your so noble actions that make you above everyone else are totally useless." Joker giggled softly. 

"Your simply producing the same random chaos as I." Joker grinned softly in the dark and glanced toward the shard of bloody mirror, "Look at it, and tell me what you see?"

Batman said nothing and slugged Joker again before slinging him over his back. Batman looked towards the shard of mirror, it was too dark too see anything.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Thrashing vacant grief, pounding depleted ridicule, slap in the face. Nothing but the frozen 

damp stone floor, where he half found himself laying, constricted by the worn-out straight jacket, cuffed and beaten. Not defeated. Taste of his own blood lingering in his mouth. Overwhelmed by delirium. Sweet half-dead delirium. Bitter voices of the past ridiculing someone distant. Only the ghost of a boy he thinks he might have known.

Sometimes in delirium and dream he has visions of this boy. Joker is torn between thinking the boy deserves what he gets and feeling sorry for him. The visions of the crying boy far away, where everything is familiar and every hurtful voice is there but not here. 

Joker slams his head against the stone until he feels a blackness almost take over, then he can think again. So much clutter up there. So much he keeps forgetting to forget. Forget. Forget. Forget. He thinks bashing his skull on the ground. 

Random chaotic death. Precise well planned, overly thought out chaos. Notes that had notes. Did Batsy think there was no method to the madness? Why the madness was the very method! He didn't need to take over the world or control everyone in Gotham or anything so over done, no it was a quiet delicate procedure. It required no expensive equipment or over-paid henchmen, no team-ups, and no big plot twists. It was elegant, like all his jokes. It was simple. It was funny. That was the purpose. It was funny because it was random. It was funny because there was no method other than madness. It was funny because Jack was meaningless, worthless, amount to nothing, in the game of life 

Jack was just another non-player character. 

Jack was a pawn. Joker was a king. Jacks came and went like the sunrise.

The world would go on while Jack rotted away 6 feet under, and in the end it would make no difference. Yet Batman continued to make the massive effort to make his own life count by trying to save Jack's. Jack's death gives Batman's life purpose.

Joker giggled to himself, hearing the rain fall heavily outside the thick stone walls of Arkham Asylum and hoping Batman got the joke too. It was just too good not to laugh about.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Master Bruce, I think you may want to see this." Alfred said, as Bruce was sitting in the Bat-cave sifting through some documents.

"What is it?" Bruce replied rather tiredly.

"Channel 7 sir." 

Bruce turned the screen to channel 7, to see Summer Gleason in a royal blue suit sitting in front of her desk in a special broadcast, "I've just got word from Commissioner James Gordon, that the Joker, who was recently apprehended for the murder of Jack Mitchell, is being tried in the murder. If the Joker is found competent, he may face the death penalty. 

Here is what Commissioner Gordon had to say on the matter." 

A news clip of Gordon plays on the screen, "I am going to do my best to make sure Joker finally pays for his horrible crimes, no matter what it takes, he will not get away with this."

The screen goes back to Summer Gleason, "The Commissioner's strong words about this are clear. Stay turned to channel 7 for full coverage of the trial."

Bruce clicked the screen off and was silent, Alfred piped in gently, "Do you think they can finally get him sir?"

"I can only hope." Bruce said, with deep doubt in his voice. 

(Stay tuned for Part Two when Joker goes on trial and may not get off this time, Harley takes the stand, among many others, special guest stars included! And Joker makes Batman question his own sanity after playing games with him.)

Disclaimer: Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn and related characters are property of DC comics. I just do this for fun. Story by me! MistahJsgirl@cs.com.

2002


End file.
